Jail threats equal four years in prison

Man pleads guilty to battery and harassment

A Chicago man who authorities said made numerous threats to harm two women and multiple DuPage County Jail guards was sentenced today to 51months in prison.

Joshua Kozlowski, 25, of the 2800 block of N. Farragut Ave., was sentenced by DuPage Judge Daniel Guerin after he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor battery stemming from an incident with the two women at a York Township tanning salon where they were employed. He also pleaded guilty to harassment of a witness.

Kozlowski was arrested in October for battery after slapping the buttocks of one of the females and rubbing his foot on the other.

Assistant State's Attorneys Jennifer Lindt and Jae Kwon presented evidence that Kozlowski was able to get the personal numbers of the two woman. He made numerous calls to them on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day from the jail and threatened to kill them. Jail officers also found an envelope that Kozlowski was attempting to mail to the women that contained two playing cards — queens with the heads ripped off and threats written on them.

DuPage County Jail staff offered about 70 different reports detailing incidents in which Kozlowski made threats to find out where deputies live and harm them, made repeated vulgar statements to female jail employees and destroyed a jail mattress and jail sprinkler heads.

"You didn't just strike fear into witnesses, you took it to another level," Guerin said. "Harassing and intimidating witnesses is intolerable in our justice system."

Kozlowski acted as his own attorney. During the past few months he several times has changed his mind about pleading guilty and ranted regularly about the jail personnel. He said today the accusations "are a gross mischaracterization of my character and this is a gross injustice."